87 t-66

iTrader: (133)

i wish i would have done this before putting my engine in. looks great.

rxdrift7

iTrader: (3)

Woot for Rusto engine bays! I went primer, gloss, then clear though.

Looks good though man, keep up the work. I'd love to pull apart my suspension as well but I can only have a few clean parts at once.

NATEFRAME

rxdrift, you got a nice looking paint job there. I have a little experience painting, not much however. The biggest problem I have is **** in the air. Every time I got nice paint the bugs get into it. My barn has so much **** in the air I just gave up on it. Maby someday I will have the money to make my own spray booth, now that would be cool...

I really hate body work, it takes a different skill set than I have.
I finally got my hole saw!!

Rawbz08

iTrader: (7)

i got all my by cleaned and cleared out. right now im in the process of rewiring the car... i wanted to paint and now this thread has gotten wanting to go out right now and buy some paint and start stripping and ready for paint....

Thanks

AUGieDogie

iTrader: (4)

All those sandblasted parts make me jelouse. I only got a few of my underbody blasted and coated, then I had to move and don't have anywhere to blast/coat. Sigh.

ultrataco

iTrader: (2)

cool thread.

Those bushings are no fun. Someday I'll get around to doing the rear control arm bushings. I did the fronts and the dtss, and didn't feel like dropping the rear end.

anyway, good job. subscribed.

shm21284

You do nice work

NATEFRAME

thanks for all the nice comments guys. I am fairly happy with my rx7, its sure alot better than my DSM was. I'll never go back to the dark side again. I guess I am a rotor head now. Sorry I have no pics to post, I dident touch the car yesterday.

Today or tomorrow I will take all that **** to the powdercoater, but I gotta barrow my dads pickup truck, yea the one that had the huge oil leek and now only has a small one.

Does anyone have a pics of a trunk mounted batter setup they could share with me, I am looking for some ideas. Approx size of batter and method of securing to the car.

cheers

clokker

iTrader: (2)

You want trunk or storage bin?
Here's a storage bin relocate (pertinent details start at post #34).

jediknight7

so you pressed out the bushings that hold the bearing carrier thingy, what are you planning on replacing them with?

Rawbz08

iTrader: (7)

well due to your inspiration i finally got done with mine today.... primer then gloss black. along with stripping interior and then all that TAR crap thats harder then hell to chip away. then i painted gloss white.... i wanna do the sheet metal insert for gauges now... but keep us posted and it all looks great...

NATEFRAME

jediknight, Carrier bearing? I am not following you. Do you mean the spherical bearing on the rear control arm. Those will probally be delrin from mazdatrix, I dont want any sloppy rubber toe adjustments.

As for that gauge panel, I was almost done putting it together, I went to get my autometer speedo and get ready to mount it, I notice the insides are rattleing all around, and the mounting studs fell into the housing, almost impossible to remove, not to mention my hole saw loosened itself in the process of drilling the last hole, left some scrapes.
It dosent look bad for tracing and using a ruler to locate the hole centers, but with my drill press, some of the holes are off up to 1/8 inch, the tach and speedo bezels touch eachother, I cannot look at that when I drive, it will ruin my day. I think I am going to have to take some measurments and try to made a drawing in solidworks and have it cut on a waterjet cutter, then a 2 and 1/16 hole will really be 33/16 inch.
Havent been getting anything done this week, very frustrating!
cheers

jediknight7

these two bushings;

NATEFRAME

ahh ok, now I see what your talking about. It took me over a year to find out about the macro setting on my camera, it really makes for pretty good closeup pictures.
As I said before I am hoping to get delrin from mazdatrix, I have never used delrin for a suspension bushing before so I have no experience.
Also hoping to get a few mazda comp diff bushings.

At the current rate I dont think I am going to get the car done before I go back to school in october, maby if I stick the shitty E6 haltch/harness back in, but I really wanted to make a kickass harness for my E8, we will see. If I get some free time I can bang out a good amount of work.

I cant wait to see the powdercoated stuff, I think it will turn out nice.

cheers

NATEFRAME

Been awhile since an update.
Finally, after almost 2 weeks I got my suspension **** back.
Starting to piece it back together little by little.
Also started to depower the steering rack.
As uasual a picture is worth a thousand words.
Removing the pesky hydraulic seal. Really fun!
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda203.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda203.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Just a small nick on the shaft, hopfully no harm done.
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Nice and black!!
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[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda210.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda210.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
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[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda219.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda219.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda218.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda218.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda224.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda224.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
hope you enjoyed the pictures.

shm21284

Dude, I'm freakin jealous. Man, does that look good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NATEFRAME

i am happy with the coating. Now if I only had my own hardware store so I could replace every bolt, then I would be really happy!!
McMaster dosent seem to have any zinc plated flange head bolts, maby msc. I think I am going to buy boxes of 25 of every common size and just keep them around.
Dude, I forget to get subframe bushings!!!!! Damn, this will delay me a few days!! You think Delrin is a good choice? The oems are urber expensive, the delrin cost is less than or equal to oem cost. maby a little better for beating the **** out of?

cheers

NATEFRAME

Today has been a pretty good day on the RX7.
Managed to remove all the shitty interior trim from the front seats back.
Not really a good overall picture.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda231.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda231.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Since I am out of bushings to reassemble my suspension I went in another direction that was going to have to be addressed soon. The battery, when I got the car is was just sitting in the drivers storage box behind the drivers seat. Needless to say this was just not acceptable. If I were to ever get into an accident the battery would probally take off my head.
I spotted a piece of 1.25x1.25x.125 angle aluminum stock in the shop and went to town after a simple sketch. I am building this around my optima red top battery, cant remember the exact dimensions.
Pieces cut
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda225.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda225.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Tacked together
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda227.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda227.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Fitment of battery, and tabs that will be used for holding it down.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda229.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda229.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
One of my better welds
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda230.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda230.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Thought about several ways to mount it
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda233.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda233.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
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Laying out my idea for mounting tabs
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda235.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda235.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Layed out good enough for me
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda236.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda236.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Finished
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda241.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda241.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Went to drill my first hole and boom! Right into the gas tank. At this point I knew I had worked to much since I was starting to make mistakes. This picture is after I removed it, i'll have to make a patch and weld it tomorrow, after draining and filling with water ofcourse.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda245.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda245.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
My fuel pump, I hear people run two walbro 255 in these tanks, how does anyone plumb those up?
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda246.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda246.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

thats all i got tonight

shm21284

Damn. Fab work looks good. Sorry about the weight saving speed hole in the fuel tank.

I don't think Nate (the other Nate, DelSlow) has pictures of his dual walbro pumps online.

Maybe you can PM him.

NATEFRAME

yea, going to have to fix that hole, shouldent be too hard. hopfully i wont singe my hair.
I am going to have to find out more about this dual fuel pump thing, if time becomes an issue its going back together the way it was. I am looking forward to tomorrow, finish up this battery mount, probally use elevator bolts where gastank clearence is an issue. That tank is like directly under the floor, there is no gap at all, which makes sense looking back, thats why they have straps.
On those old land cruisers we uasually work on the tanks bolt in.

blackedoutFC3S

iTrader: (7)

Man that powdercoating looks so good! This is a great project man keep up the good work

Hypertek

iTrader: (3)

why not put the battery behind the passanger seat area where the bins/rear seat used to be? closer to middle of car to offset the driver weight.

NATEFRAME

hypertek. I thought long and hard about where to put the battery. For me, it came down to ease of mounting to the floor. I wanted to put it somewhere it was flat, and as a plus I can jump start the car just by lifting the rear hatch.

So today I finished drilling holes in the floor, and welded in some M6x1.0 nutserts I got from mcmaster carr.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda251.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda251.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
How it looks with the battery...
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda253.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda253.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Secured with 1/4-20 threaded rod and some angle aluminum stock.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda257.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda257.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
I installed a switch on the hotside of the circuit. Now I dont have to remove the cables from the battery when I gotta make a change to something.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda263.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda263.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
I put alot of effort into my battery cables, when it comes to cars, its all in the details.

Basically I got 4AWG welding cable, in red and black and an assortment of crimp on lugs. Cut to length and crimp the lugs in a press. The black sheething is a real bitch to put on, but its worth it. You will realise how tuff the **** is when you try to cut some excess off with a razor blade, its nice ****.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda264.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda264.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Still gotta work out something for a grommet for the floor, but here is the general layout of the system. Probally wont run the negative and started wires until the engine is back in.
[IMG]<a href="http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/?action=view&current=Mazda267.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/NateFrame69/Mazda/Mazda267.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

shm21284

Cweet

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Mostly I applaud your efforts but this statement makes no sense.

Given that you were making a totally custom battery tray, what difference would the floor being flat make?
Angled brackets, flat brackets...pretty much the same thing, construction-wise.

How often have you jump started a car in the recent past?
Seems like you placed the battery in just about the worst possible place because it was slightly simpler to build the mount and easier to get to on the off chance it needed to be jumped- which, by the way, is also possible at the terminal in the engine bay where the new battery cable will tie into the rest of the system.

Next time you think long and hard about something, include the fact that you have access to more facilities than the average bear (welder, for instance), which frees you from the constraints of the normal shade tree modder and makes the difficult possible.